


Twelve Days

by Half



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Christmas fic, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 18:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13129233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half/pseuds/Half
Summary: Sometimes a life can be told in twelve days.





	Twelve Days

# ONE

 

The rotating sequence of lights floods the parking lot of a food store as a police car follows an old red Jeep to a space. As the deputy gets out of her car, rubbing her hands together in the cold, the driver’s side window rolls down.

“Ma’am,” Deputy Nicole Haught drawls as she approaches. “Do you know how fast you were-”

She breaks off in an instant, concern flooding through her, as she finally sees the driver’s face.

Waverly Earp is in tears, shaking uncontrollably as she grips the steering wheel tight between both hands. She spares Nicole the barest glance before breaking out into heaving sobs, her eyes slamming shut.

“Hey,” Nicole whispers, setting her ticket pad and pen on the hood of the Jeep. Her voice drops from ‘police mode’ to ‘comfort mode’ like the flick of a switch, and she sets her gloved hands on the doorframe. “Easy, now. What’s going on?”

It takes a few tries through gasping breaths, but Waverly manages, “My… My… uncle… he-he was in an… accident… He’s in… th-the-the… hospital… I-I’m trying to…”

“Okay. Purgatory General?”

“Y-Yes,” Waverly sniffs.

Nicole picks up her pad and pen from the hood and straightens. “Alright. Just wait here for a moment.”

Waverly rests her head on the steering wheel, turning just enough to watch Nicole lean against the side of her car and speak into her radio.

When she returns, she asks, “Is there anything valuable in your car?”

“Just m-my… wallet.”

“Okay. Lock it all up and come with me.”

Waverly bursts into another round of sobs. “Please, Deputy, I need to see my-”

“Calm down,” Nicole orders, and Waverly slams her mouth shut in a panic. “I’m not arresting you.” She opens Waverly’s door and helps her out of the Jeep. “Just relax, okay? I’m going to drive you over there.”

“Wh-What?”

“It’s not going to do anybody any good if you get yourself into an accident on the way there, now is it?” Nicole asks, her eyes going soft again.

Waverly stares up at her for a moment before nodding.

“Now, come on.” Nicole rests a hand at the top of Waverly’s back and leads her to the police car. “Let’s get you where you need to be.”

 

+++

 

“You’re still here.”

Nicole runs a hand over her face and blinks rapidly as she focuses on Waverly, standing in front of her with a cup of coffee in her hands.

“Yeah. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“This is for you,” Waverly says, holding out the coffee.

“God, thank you,” Nicole groans, taking it and downing half of it in one gulp. She slumps back in her chair. “How is your uncle?”

Waverly sits next to her, pulling at a loose string in the arm of the chair. “Don’t you have, like, a patrol to get back to, or something?”

Nicole shrugs. “I was fifteen minutes away from the end of my shift when I stopped you. I don’t have anywhere else to be.”

“Oh, God, you should be _home_. You should be _asleep_. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve…”

“ _Today_ is Christmas Eve,” Nicole says, pointing at the clock on the wall, steadily ticking past one in the morning. “And don’t worry. I don’t have anywhere to be.”

Waverly’s lip quivers, her eyes filling with tears. “You didn’t have to… stay here. For me. I don’t even _know_ you.”

Nicole holds out her hand. “Deputy Nicole Haught.”

It earns her a soft laugh from Waverly, who rubs at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffles. “I know your _name_. I did hear _some_ things in the car on the way over.”

“Then I hope you also heard me say that I’m here to help. It’s going to be okay, Waverly.”

Waverly swallows, her tears welling up again. “No,” she whispers. “No, it’s not.”

Nicole blinks at her until it clicks. “Your uncle…”

There’s a sharp sob, and Waverly falls forward, burying her face against Nicole’s collarbone and crying. Nicole hesitates for a moment before resting one hand on Waverly’s back and using the other to gently stroke Waverly’s hair.

 

+++++

 

# TWO

 

There’s something funny about the line of tomatoes resting in the snow in front of the small tombstone.

Nicole crouches down and lays a piece of evergreen branch alongside them. She takes a moment, studying each of the letters carved into the granite.

She’s about to stand up when a voice behind her says, “I thought I might find you out here.”

Waverly stops a few feet away, hands shoved deep in her pockets. “It’s been a while, Deputy Haught.”

Nicole stands and turns in a fluid motion, her cheeks flushing red. “I’m sorry. I know I didn’t know your uncle, I just… I felt like I should…”

“You’re the one who left the tulip at Easter and the rosemary at Memorial and Veterans’ Day, aren’t you?”

“Yes. They were family customs.”

Waverly’s brow furrows. “How did you even know my Uncle Curtis was in the army?”

Nicole shrugs and takes a step towards her. “I went to his funeral.”

“I… I didn’t notice you.”

“I didn’t want to intrude.” She glances back at the grave. “I hope I’m not intruding here, either. I just felt like I owed it to him.” She gives a sideways glance at Waverly. “To you.”

Waverly swallows and shakes her head. “You owe me nothing, Deputy Haught.”

“Please, you can call me Nicole.”

“Nicole.” Waverly closes the distance between them and sets her hand on Nicole’s arm. “What are your Christmas plans this year?”

“Same as last year. I’m staying home. I have a shift that goes until five at night on Christmas Eve, and then I’m done until my next shift starts the night of Christmas Day.”

“Our Christmas Eve dinner starts at six,” Waverly says.

“That’s good.”

Waverly’s fingers twitch against Nicole’s arm. “Why don’t you join us?”

Nicole blinks at her. “I-I don’t wan-”

“If you say that you don’t want to intrude, Dep- … _Nicole_ , I might have to smack you.”

“Assaulting an officer is your way of inviting me to Christmas dinner?” Nicole asks with a laugh.

Waverly is flushed red. “It was the best I could think of.”

“Clearly.”

“Do you want to come or not?” Waverly stammers.

Nicole smiles softly and reaches up to lay her hand on top of Waverly’s. “I’d be honored to.”

 

+++++

 

# THREE

 

They both wince as Jeremy Chetri, drunk off a wine cooler, grabs the mic and gets up onto Xavier Dolls’s living room table to take his turn at karaoke.

“This is going to be a disaster,” Nicole mumbles, lifting her Corona to her lips.

Waverly elbows her in the side. “Be supportive.”

“Sure. Want me to record it for posterity?”

“Hmph.” Waverly leans against her, smirking. “I’d be nicer to the girl who saved your drunk ass after Wynonna recorded you singing dive bar karaoke.”

Nicole’s cheeks blush pink. “I love you. You’re such a great friend.”

“Sure, sure, call me that _now_.” Waverly gestures at the box that John Henry Holliday is discreetly adjusting the volume on. “Y’know, I’m sure that thing has your song, Nic. What was it again?”

“It was ‘Hold On Loosely’ by .38 Special,” Nicole answers through gritted teeth.

“That’s right! We can definitely find that somewhere.”

“How much do I have to pay you?”

“Nothing. The look on your face is worth everything.”

Nicole rolls her eyes. “You’re a jerk.”

Waverly reaches up and pats her on the cheek. “You’ve known me for two years, and you’re just realizing this now?”

Nicole tries to bite her hand, and Waverly laughs, pulling it away. “Do you need another beer yet?”

“Nope. I’m happy with this one.”

“Damn. I was going to make you get me one.”

“Of course you were.” Nicole shakes her head and walks into the kitchen.

Chrissy Nedley, watching Waverly watch Nicole go, smacks her friend on the shoulder.

“Ow!” Waverly rubs her arm and glares. “What was that for?”

“If you stare at her any longer, you’re going to drill a hole through her.” Chrissy folds her arms across her chest. “Just ask her out.”

Waverly laughs. “I’m not interested in Nicole.”

Chrissy snorts out a laugh. “Sure. Okay.”

“I’m _not_!”

“Not what?” Nicole asks, returning with a beer that she hands to Waverly.

“Nothing,” Waverly says. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Chrissy clears her throat and points up. “Uh… guys.”

Waverly and Nicole look up and pale, seeing a plastic piece of mistletoe stuck to the ceiling with a Command strip.

“Oh, come on,” Waverly mumbles.

“Er…” Nicole looks down at her, blush spreading across her face from her ears. “Uh…”

“We don’t have to do that if you don’t want to,” Waverly says in a rush, the words almost blurring together.

“It _is_ the plant used for murder in Norse myth, right?” Nicole jokes, an uncomfortable edge to her voice.

Waverly sighs quietly. “I’ll admit that it’s sexy that you know that.”

The blush on Nicole’s cheeks deepens in color. “U-Uhm. Well. It is still tradition, so I guess… uhm… Would you… Would you _mind_ if I kissed you?”

“No,” Waverly whispers.

Nicole swallows and sets her beer down on the table behind her. She moves slowly, carefully, as she reaches up and cups Waverly’s face in her hands. When she leans forward and presses their lips together, it’s like the whole world around them has gone silent and still.

It lasts longer than entirely necessary, the two of them lost in the quiet. When Nicole pulls away, her eyes taking a bit of time to open, she’s blushing even harder.

“Thanks,” she says. She hesitates, her eyes fluttering closed, but when they open again she just grabs her beer and bolts to the other side of the room.

Waverly leans back against the wall, her breath ragged. She takes a gulp of her beer and swallows it down, then looks over at the smirk on Chrissy’s face.

“What?”

 _“I’ll admit that it’s sexy that you know that,”_ Chrissy says, mockery heavy in her tone.

“Shut the fuck up.”

Chrissy pats her on the shoulder, forcing her expression to be serious. “Never.”

 

+++++

 

# FOUR

 

“One of these days I’ll have to get my own thing to do on Christmas instead of stealing yours,” Nicole jokes as she drives Waverly home from the mall.

“You know you’re always welcome.”

“I know. I’m not sure how Gus puts up with me and Wynonna both, though.”

Waverly snorts. “Yeah. You’re pieces of work.”

Nicole merges into another lane and glances over her shoulder. “At least Dolls’s party is for New Year’s instead of Christmas this time.”

“Does that make a difference?”

“Yeah; we won’t get blackmailed by mistletoe.”

Waverly laughs, but it sounds fake, echoing off the windows of Nicole’s Dodge Charger.

Nicole’s brow furrows. “You okay, Waves?”

“Oh. Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine. Is this about that kiss? It’s not a big deal, you know. It was a year ago.”

Waverly studies her for a moment, short red hair falling just to her chin, red button-down under black sweater, dark jeans, hands tight against the steering wheel as she avoids a pothole.

“What if it _was_ a big deal?” she whispers.

Nicole looks at her for so long that she has to slam on the brakes to avoid running a red light. “What are you saying, Waverly?”

“I’m sorry,” Waverly murmurs. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been burying this for so long, and I just can’t do it anymore.”

“Burying _what_?”

“I _wanted_ to kiss you,” Waverly blurts out. She swallows and adds, “Still do.”

The light turns green and Nicole turns back to the road, continuing the drive in silence. She pulls into a food store parking lot and puts her car into park.

“Nicole? Are you okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I-I don’t know.” Waverly toys with the zipper of her jacket. “I was scared, I guess. That you’d think I wasn’t okay with us just being friends. That you’d be weirded out. Maybe I was… a little scared that you… I don’t know. I was just afraid.”

Nicole drums her fingers against the steering wheel. “Are you _afraid_ of that or _hoping_ for it?”

“Why would I hope for that?”

“It’d be easier,” Nicole says with a shrug.

“Not for me.”

Nicole takes in a deep breath before lowering her hands and turning. Her brown eyes are hard, determined. “And what if I wasn’t going to push you away at all?”

Waverly bites her lip. “I think that would be even scarier.”

“I would never want you to be afraid of me.” Nicole leans forward, resting her elbow on the center console. “But I also wish you had just told me sooner.”

“Why?” Waverly asks in a whisper.

“So that I don’t have to ask you out today, here.”

Waverly looks around and takes in a sharp breath. “The lot where we first met.”

“Mhm.”

“Well, you have a sense of irony when it comes to dissolving friendships, I’ll give you that,” Waverly jokes, nerves making her body shake.

“Waverly. Did you listen to anything that I just said?” Nicole asks, a patient smile on her lips.

“Huh?”

“I’m _asking you out._ ”

Waverly pales. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

Waverly blushes. “Oh.”

Nicole glances around the car. “I-Is this a good ‘oh’, or should I start looking for somewhere to hide myself from embarrassment for a few years?”

“No.” Waverly reaches up and sets her palm against Nicole’s cheek. “It’s a _very_ good ‘oh’, Nicole.”

“Oh.” Nicole grins. “Good.”

Waverly brushes her thumb against Nicole’s cheek. “Can I kiss you, Nicole?”

“Absolutely.”

Waverly laughs and tugs Nicole forward, kissing her hard on the mouth. The kiss softens immediately, Nicole’s hand reaching around to settle in Waverly’s hair.

“Do me a favor?” Waverly mumbles against Nicole’s lips.

“Yes?”

“Don’t thank me and run away this time.”

Nicole laughs. “Only if you do me a favor, too.”

“Anything.”

“Don’t pretend this never happened and then tell me what you thought about it a year later.”

Waverly grins. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Deputy Haught.”

She pulls Nicole forward again, and loses herself in a kiss she doesn’t have to break.

 

+++++

 

# FIVE

 

“I can’t believe we’ve already known each other for five years,” Nicole murmurs, nipping the side of Waverly’s mouth to get a drop of syrup.

“Five years since Uncle Curtis died, too,” Waverly whispers.

Nicole runs her fingers up Waverly’s ribcage, daring a smile when she does. “Are you all doing anything? Going to his grave or something?”

“I think Aunt Gus wants to go there today. Take some tomatoes.”

“I’ve never understood the tomatoes.”

Waverly chews another forkful of waffles. “He grew them. There was a little garden in Aunt Gus’s yard that he always tended to. She can’t bring herself to do it now that he’s gone, but she always gets a few from a local seller and leaves them at his grave for him. The squirrels and deer will take them away. Uncle Curtis always loved them, too.”

“He loved _you_ , too,” Nicole murmurs.

“You never knew him,” Waverly points out as she takes more waffles.

“I don’t need to. Gus showed me pictures from when you and Wynonna were kids. The love there is… I can only hope to have _half_ as much love in my heart as he did.”

Waverly strokes her fingers down Nicole’s cheek. “You already do, baby.”

“I doubt that.” Nicole stretches and lies down, sprawling out on the bed. “I’m certainly not smarter than him, since I don’t think he ever thought it was a good idea to serve waffles as breakfast in bed.”

“You’re cute, though.” Waverly sets her plate on the bedside table and shifts under the sheets, settling herself on top of Nicole. “And you’re _very_ smart in bed.” She leans down and presses a kiss to Nicole’s lips as her hands begin to wander.

“You taste like syrup,” Nicole mumbles before shudders run through her body.

Waverly smirks against her skin. “Do you not want me to use my mouth, then?”

Nicole groans and rolls over, pinning her underneath. Before Waverly can get out more than a breathless giggle, Nicole kisses her fiercely, silencing her as her own hands trail down the bed.

 

+++

 

“I’m going to stay back here,” Nicole whispers in Waverly’s ear, stopping a few rows of tombstones away from Curtis’s grave.

Waverly threads her fingers with Nicole’s. “You don’t have to.”

“This is for your family. It’s important.”

“Baby.” Waverly pushes up onto her toes and kisses Nicole on her cheek. “Relax, okay? Please come with me.”

Nicole allows Waverly to pull her forward to where Gus and Wynonna are standing, on either side of Curtis’s tombstone.

“Haught,” Wynonna greets, reaching out to shake her hand.

“Earp.”

Wynonna uses the handshake to yank Nicole into a rib-crushing hug. “Thanks for coming.”

“You know you can ask me for anything.”

Once Wynonna lets her go, Gus hugs her too, and Nicole suddenly feels shy, standing behind Waverly and thumbing one of the quieter buttons on her fidget cube. Waverly leans back against her with a soft sigh, and Nicole presses a kiss to the top of her head.

They stare at the grave in silence, until Wynonna pulls out a bag of tomatoes. “Let’s do this, then.”

Each woman takes a tomato and sets it down on the grave.

Nicole goes last, setting hers carefully next to Waverly’s.

“Alright,” Wynonna sniffs, rubbing at her nose. “It’s, uh, it’s really cold, so we should probably go.”

Gus sets a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea, girl.”

As they head off towards Wynonna’s truck, Waverly bumps her shoulder against Nicole’s arm. “You coming?”

“Yeah. Just. One second, okay? I’ll meet you at the car.”

Waverly blinks at her, slowly. “Sure.”

Once she’s sure she’s alone, Nicole puts her hands in her pockets and looks down at the grave. “Thank you,” she whispers. “For giving me the chance to meet her.” She glances over at Waverly, who’s jumping up and down to keep warm, locked out of the Jeep because she left the keys in Nicole’s coat pocket. Nicole shoots one more glance at Curtis’s grave and smiles. “I promise you. I’m not going to blow it.”

She turns and walks away, unlocking the car as she goes so Waverly can get out of the wind.

 

+++++

 

# SIX

 

Waverly gets out of the shower and dives for her towel, wrapping it around herself before she freezes. She opens the bathroom door and yells, “Nicole, I love you, but it’s too cold in here.”

Nicole casually leans against the wall across from her, wearing a thick flannel shirt over a Henley and drinking a hot chocolate. “I’m toasty. Maybe you should wear a sweater.”

“Uh-huh. Maybe you should shut your face.”

“That’s very rude of you, Ms. Earp. Be careful, or Santa won’t bring you any presents.”

Waverly narrows her eyes. “The only _Santa_ I’m interested is the one right in front of me, who is also one I can easily manipulate.”

“Oh, is that so.”

“That _is_ so.” Waverly drops her towel to the floor, and Nicole almost lets her mug of hot chocolate fall with it. “Oh, Deputy Haught. Given the number of times you’ve seen me naked, this really shouldn’t cause that reaction.”

“U-Uhm…” Nicole blinks and takes another sip from her mug before clearing her throat. “What did you say?”

Waverly smirks and walks over, taking the hot chocolate from her and setting it on a nearby table. She leans in close, her hands gripping the collar of Nicole’s flannel and her lips barely a centimeter away from Nicole’s.

She waits until she hears Nicole gulp, then she spins Nicole around and tugs the flannel off, putting it on over her own shoulders and hugging it to herself.

“You’re right,” she says as Nicole turns back around, looking bewildered. “This _is_ a very toasty shirt.”

It takes Nicole a whole three seconds to comprehend what’s happened. The moment she does, she gets a dangerous grin on her face that warms Waverly straight through to her bones.

“Oh,” Nicole says, a laugh in her voice. “You’re so dead, Waverly Earp.”

“Have to catch me first.” She turns and bolts away, cackling.

It’s not hard, and Waverly is barely trying anyway, but Nicole plays it up when she catches Waverly around the waist and hoists her up, carrying her towards the bedroom.

“Where are you taking me?” Waverly laughs, playfully punching Nicole in the shoulder.

“I caught you,” Nicole explains. “I get a prize now, right?”

“You’re an ass,” Waverly giggles.

Nicole shifts Waverly up onto her shoulder and uses one hand to push up the flannel shirt. “No, no, but _you_ certainly have a nice one.”

_“Nicole!”_

“What?” Nicole swings her around again and sits down on the living room couch, settling Waverly in her lap.

“Nothing.” Waverly takes Nicole’s face between her hands and kisses her slowly. “I just love you.”

Nicole lifts Waverly’s hand and kisses her knuckles. “I love you, too.”

Waverly sets her forehead against Nicole’s and threads her fingers through Nicole’s hair. “Move in with me.”

Nicole presses a kiss to Waverly’s nose. “No.”

Waverly pulls back and squints at her. “No?”

“No.” Nicole reaches up and strokes her fingers down Waverly’s cheek. “I have no interest in moving in with your sister and your aunt, regardless of how much I like them. I’ve been planning on asking _you_ to move in with _me_ , Waverly. You sort of ruined one of my Christmas presents for you.”

“Oh,” Waverly says, flushing pink.

“Good ‘oh’ or bad one?” Nicole jokes.

Waverly surges forward and kisses her, long and hard. She grins against Nicole’s lips and murmurs, “ _Great_ ‘oh’.”

 

+++++

 

# SEVEN

“I promise that I’ll be home in time to help with the finishing touches,” Nicole says as she does the last button on her uniform. “You know I wouldn’t be going today if I didn’t have to. People need me.”

“I know,” Waverly sighs, reaching up to straighten Nicole’s collar. “It still sucks, baby.”

“Trust me. I know. But I love my job.” Nicole shrugs and kisses Waverly softly. “It’s always gonna be a _little_ bit of a mistress, darlin’.”

Waverly laughs. “Believe me, I wouldn’t have started dating a cop if I wasn’t well aware of that.” She kisses Nicole’s cheek, her thumb brushing away the faint lipstick mark. “Okay. Go on, darling. The party’s going on with or without you, though, so…”

“So no overtime.” Nicole salutes and grabs her coat out of the closet. “I got it, ma’am.”

 

+++

 

Nicole walks in to her own house party ten minutes late.

“Dude,” Wynonna says, stopping her at the door and handing her a beer. “You might want to chug that.”

Nicole winces and pulls her ballcap down further on her head. “That bad?”

Wynonna shrugs and pats her on the back. “Let’s just say that I really feel bad for your sex life for the next few weeks.” She pauses. “But not _too_ bad, because, like, this is my baby sister we’re talking about, and I do have guns.”

“Glad we cleared that up,” Nicole says with a roll of her eyes.

“Me too!” Wynonna gives her a rather aggressive pat on the back and shoves her towards the kitchen.

Waverly, who seems to be trying to make chicken tenders cook just by glaring at them, turns that same glare up to Nicole, who immediately looks down at the floor. “You.”

“M-Me?”

“Are. Late,” Waverly finishes through gritted teeth.

“Ah. Right. Uhm. Well. There was. Uh. Paperwork. I had to finish. And. Uh.”

Chrissy rushes into the room without noticing Nicole, blurting out, “Waverly, my dad just called me and said that Nicole would be late because she got into a _fistfight_. What-” She trails off when she sees Nicole standing there. “Nic? Wow, you must’ve driven home pretty fast.”

Waverly slams down the knife in her hand and picks up a towel to wipe off her hands. “A _fistfight_?”

“Not a big deal,” Nicole mumbles. “Just breaking up some drunks.”

“Let me see your face, then.”

“Uhhh… No. Because I… feel guilty. About. Being late.”

“Nicole Marie Haught, if you don’t take off that baseball cap _right now_ …”

Nicole sighs and pulls her hat off, raising her head and wincing in the light. She groans and puts the cold beer up against the side of her face.

Waverly pales as Chrissy lets out a low whistle. “Oh, _Nicole_ ,” Waverly whispers, walking over slowly. She takes Nicole’s chin in her hand and uses it to turn her head, examining the bruises scattered over her face and the gash held together by butterfly bandages.

“You should see the other guys,” Nicole jokes.

“Damn, Haught, you did a number on yourself,” Chrissy says. “How about I go get you some ice?”

“Thanks, Chris.”

Waverly kisses her with a very tender softness and murmurs, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Not your fault. You didn’t know.” Nicole sits down at the table. “I’m sorry I got my ass kicked on the night of our first ever holiday party.”

“There will be other parties,” Waverly says. She presses a kiss to the side of Nicole’s head. “There’s never going to be another you.”

 

+++++

 

# EIGHT

 

“We’re really doing this?”

“We’re really doing this.”

“It’s quite the commitment.”

“I know. But I believe in us.”

Waverly looks down at the squirming pile of blue heeler puppies. “I do too. And I also believe in _that_ one.”

Nicole chuckles. “The chill dude hanging off to the side _not_ in this chaos pile? Why am I not surprised.”

The shelter supervisor hands the puppy to Waverly, who immediately cuddles him close to her chest. “He’s the perfect Christmas present. Thank you, Nicole.”

Nicole kisses her quickly and dances her fingers in front of the puppy’s nose. “You’re always welcome.”

 

+++

 

“So,” Nicole says as she drives Waverly’s Jeep home. “What are you calling him?”

Waverly snuggles the puppy for a moment before saying, “Tommy.”

“Tommy?”

“Mhm.”

Nicole pauses as she waits at a red light, giving Waverly a curious look. “Short for ‘Tomato’?”

Waverly smiles into the puppy’s fur as he yawns and settles in for a nap. “Maybe.”

 

+++++

# NINE

 

Nicole is woken by a heavy weight landing straight on her back. She groans and shifts, grabbing blindly for the source.

“Wake _up_ , Aunt Nic! It’s _Christmas_!” Alice Holliday pouts, smacking her once more in the shoulder for good measure.

“Kid, I’m too old for full body five-year-old slams on my back,” Nicole mumbles, picking the little girl up and settling her just above her hips.

Alice frowns down at her, tiny creases between her eyes, and she looks so much like Wynonna that it’s eerie. “But you gotta get _up_!”

Nicole yawns and reaches her hand out to shake Waverly’s shoulder, missing and getting her head instead.

“Ow,” Waverly grumbles. “What?”

“Your niece is awake.”

Waverly fumbles for the clock and squints at it. “Before six a.m. she’s _your_ niece.”

Nicole yawns again and pats Alice on the head. “If you can get your mom and dad and Aunt Gus up, we’ll get up, too, okay?”

Alice grins down at her. “Okay!”

She waits for Nicole to help her back down to the ground before bolting out of the bedroom.

Nicole drops back down flat onto her pillow, moaning quietly. “You _want_ one of those?”

“Oh, shut up,” Waverly mumbles. “You love her.”

“She’s lucky I do. That _hurt_.”

Waverly giggles softly. “You’re only thirty-two, Nicole, stop whining.”

Nicole pulls Waverly towards her and presses a kiss to the back of her shoulder. “Never.”

“You do realize that Wynonna is going to kill you when she realizes that you sent her kid in to wake her up at five thirty in the morning?”

“It’s Christmas. She’ll lighten up when she sees Alice opening presents.”

Waverly turns around and kisses Nicole slowly. “We’d better get up. The least you can do is make coffee.”

“Oh, alright.” Nicole rolls out of bed and stretches, a few of her joints popping softly. “See? Told you I was old.”

Waverly throws a pillow at her face. She catches it easily, laughing, and tosses it back onto the bed before walking out of the room.

 

+++

 

“Looks like that’s all of them, kid,” Wynonna says, resting her hand on top of Alice’s head.

“Oh,” Alice says, looking around at the sea of torn wrapping paper. “Okay.”

“Actually, it looks like there might be one more back there,” Nicole says, pointing to a small wrapped box deep in the far corner behind the tree. “Can you go dig that one out, Al?”

“Yeah!” Alice crawls under the tree and retrieves it, squinting at the label.

“Can you read it?”

“W-a-u… No, v… uhm…”

Gus leans over and whispers in Alice’s ear.

The girl grins and exclaims, “It’s for Aunt Wave!”

Nicole smiles slightly. “Very good. Why don’t you deliver it to her for me?”

Alice brings the package over to her aunt and presents it, beaming. Waverly takes it from her and kisses her on the forehead. “Thank you very much, sweetheart.”

As the girl goes back over to her mother, Waverly shoots Nicole a curious look. Nicole just grins and shrugs, and Waverly unwraps the box.

It’s the size of a watch box and pitch black, and when she opens it she finds an old, simple silver ring with a diamond inside.

Waverly takes in a slow breath and looks up at Gus. “This is your engagement ring.”

“Yes. It is.”

“I don’t understand. Shouldn’t Wynonna have this?”

Wynonna smirks at her and rests a hand on John Henry’s back. “Gus and I agreed a very long time ago that that ring should go to you. When the time was right.”

“When the time was right?”

Nicole shifts off of her seat next to Waverly and kneels down on the floor in front of her. “They didn’t wrap that, darling,” she says. “I did.”

“You,” Waverly whispers.

“Gus gave that to me the day you moved in with me. I’ve had it since then, and I’ve been waiting for when the time was right.” Nicole lifts Waverly’s hand and presses a kiss to her knuckles. “I think it’s now.”

Waverly swallows, tears in her eyes. Even Alice is quiet, settled on the floor with Tommy.

Nicole’s voice is low and gentle. “Waverly Earp, I-”

She barely gets that much out before Waverly surges forward and kisses her hard on the mouth.

“Uhm,” Nicole stammers. “You know, I _did_ have this whole speech planned out, about how I know this is a hard time of year for you but it’s also got so much meaning for us, and all.”

“Sorry,” Waverly mumbles, cupping Nicole’s face in her hands and stroking her thumbs against her cheeks. “You’ll have to tell me later.”

“Is that… Is that a yes?”

“You have to ask me the question first.”

Nicole laughs, her forehead bumping against Waverly’s. “I was _getting there_ , you know.”

“Shh,” Waverly says, tapping her finger against Nicole’s lips. “Just ask.”

“Waverly Earp, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Waverly says, before kissing Nicole again.

There’s a sharp whistle from Wynonna behind them, and Alice frowns up at her mother. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Your Aunt Nicole is going to actually be your Aunt Nicole now.”

“Oh. Huh?”

Gus reaches down to stroke her fingers through the girl’s hair. “They’re getting married, sweetheart.”

Waverly grips Nicole’s face between her hands, grinning at her and staring into her eyes. “We’re getting married,” she murmurs.

“Yes.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Waverly drags Nicole into a tight hug, her lips next to Nicole’s ear. “And just so you know?” she whispers. “It _is_ a tough time of year. But you know what’s always made it more bearable?”

“What’s that?”

_“You.”_

 

+++++

 

# TEN

 

“Haught, if you keep screwing around with that bowtie, you’re going to untie it.”

“It feels too tight,” Nicole mumbles. “Is it too hot in here?”

Wynonna grabs her hands and forces them away from the light blue tie. “ _Enough_. You’re driving _me_ crazy.” She reaches down and straightens the light blue vest. “You look good, Haught, don’t ruin it by being a nervous wreck.”

Nicole grabs her fidget cube out of the pocket of her black dress pants and spins it around in her hand. “What if she’s having second thoughts? What if she decides she doesn’t want me? I’m just some patrol cop; I can’t possibly offer her-”

Wynonna slams her hands down on Nicole’s shoulders, making her wince. “Haught. My baby sister is utterly stupidly in love with you. If I have to hear how in love with you she is one more time, I might puke. _Seriously_ , please, I beg you, _breathe_.”

She forces Nicole to sit down, where she takes in a few short breaths.

“Thanks, Wynonna.”

“No problem. That’s why you made me Best Woman, after all. So I could kick your ass when you became a nuisance to yourself.”

There’s a short knock on the door that Wynonna answers, and Gus walks in holding Alice by her hand.

“Oh, look at you both,” Gus whispers, getting a tissue out of her purse to dab at her eyes. She fixes Wynonna’s tie and then snaps her fingers at Nicole to get her to stand. “You look gorgeous. Handsome as anything. And Nicole, trust me, Waverly looks beautiful.”

“I had no doubts about that,” Nicole replies with a weak grin, her grip on her fidget cube tightening.

Alice, small and adorable in her light blue dress, tugs on her mother’s suit sleeve. “Mama, can I go to the bathroom before we start?”

Wynonna rolls her eyes and shoots Gus a patient grin. “Kids.” She takes Alice by the hand and heads for the door. “C’mon, kiddo. We’ve gotta be quick about it.” She pauses at the door and points at Nicole. “Oh, and Gus, make sure this one doesn’t make a bolt for it. She’s a nervous wreck.”

“I’m not… _Wynonna!_ ”

Wynonna waves at her, smirking, and shuts the door behind her.

Gus puts her hands on her hips. “Nicole Haught, you had _better_ not even _think_ of running.”

“I’m not. Wynonna’s exaggerating. I’m just...” Nicole takes a deep breath and reaches up to pull at her bowtie. Gus slaps her hand away. “I’m just _scared_.”

“Hmph. Come here, girl.” Gus tugs Nicole out of the room and leads her to the front door of the church.

“Where are we going?”

“Just come.” Gus pulls her outside, onto the first step.

Huge snowflakes have started falling, the world outside beginning to blanket itself in a thin layer of white. Nicole takes a small step out from the cover of the church roof, letting the snow drift onto her hair and shoulders.

“The world’s still here,” Gus says softly. “It’s all still moving forward. It didn’t stop just because you and Waverly are in _there_ getting ready to walk yourselves down an aisle.”

“This is supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes.” Gus reaches out, gently pulling Nicole back under shelter. “Waverly might be your world, Nicole. But the rest of it still _exists_. So you don’t need to be afraid of what happens if you walk in there and stand in front of those people and Waverly doesn’t join you. Because the world is still _here_. It’s still turning.” She brushes the snow off of Nicole’s shoulders and carefully shakes it out of Nicole’s hair. “But I wouldn’t worry so much, kiddo. She’s going to be there. She wants you just as much as you want her.”

“How do you know?”

Gus snorts out a laugh. “Because I just had to do this same song and dance with _her_.”

Nicole blinks at her. “What?”

“You’re both nervous idiots. Now get back in there and marry your girl.”

Nicole flushes pink and turns to the door, but Gus catches her by the wrist. She pulls Nicole down and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“Do right by her,” she whispers.

“I swear that I will,” Nicole murmurs.

Gus pats her on the shoulder. “Good girl.”

Nicole swallows and drops her fidget cube into her pocket. Then she opens the door to the church and walks back inside.

 

+++++

 

# ELEVEN

 

“Babe, we gotta go, or we’re going to be late,” Nicole calls up the stairs as she pulls her collar out of the sweater she’s just pulled on. She washes her hands and slides her wedding ring back on before packing the tray of meatballs into their carrying bag.

“I’m coming!” Waverly walks down the steps, pulling her jacket on over her shoulders. “I just was finishing one or two things up.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Nicole asks, kissing Waverly softly. “You’ve been acting strange all week.”

“Oh. Uhm. Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

Nicole sets the bag down and puts her hands on Waverly’s hips. “Darling. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Waverly cups Nicole’s face and kisses her. “I know. I just. I was going to wait until Christmas.”

“It _is_ Christmas…?”

“No, goofball, I meant until we were exchanging gifts.”

“Oh. Okay.” Nicole frowns and rests her forehead against Waverly’s. “You’re sure you’re alright, though? We don’t have to go to your aunt’s if you don’t feel good. We can’ always stay here and-”

“I’m pregnant,” Waverly blurts out.

Nicole freezes, cutting off mid-sentence. “Huh?”

“The first try took. I’m pregnant.”

Nicole just stares blankly at her, jaw hanging open slightly. Waverly smirks and reaches up, stroking her fingers down Nicole’s cheek.

“Honey, use your words.”

“U-U-Uh… you… uhm…”

“Darling?”

“Sorry, I just, I didn’t, uhm…”

Waverly pats Nicole’s shoulder. “Work it out, honey.”

Nicole kisses her breathless, holding her as close as she possibly can. When they separate, Waverly lets out a soft, small sigh.

“For a second there, I thought you were upset.”

“Sorry.” Nicole raises an eyebrow. “And that’d be kind of dickish of me, since I agreed to it when this whole process started.”

“Well, you never know.” Waverly strokes Nicole’s cheek with her thumb. “We’re going to be parents,” she whispers.

“Yeah,” Nicole says. After a slight pause, she grins, her eyes bright. “Yeah, we are.”

“Are you going to grin like that the whole time? Because Aunt Gus and Wynonna will _definitely_ know that something is up.”

“I might.”

Waverly rolls her eyes. “You’re trouble.”

Nicole scoops her up and presses a kiss to her cheek. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Waverly laughs and punches her shoulder. “Let me go.”

Her heart flips in her chest as Nicole kisses her cheek again and she whispers, “Never.”

 

+++++

 

# TWELVE

 

Waverly laughs loudly and swipes her hand at the video camera in Nicole’s grip. “Would you put that thing down? Wren isn’t going to remember any of this, anyway.”

Nicole gives her an offended look. “That’s _why_ I’m _recording it_. Daughter’s first Christmas! It’s an _event_!”

“She’s not even a year old, Nicole,” Waverly laughs, pressing a soft kiss to the infant’s head.

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that you’re a goofball.”

“Duh.” Nicole sets the camera down on a chair, the perfect angle to continue recording without having to hold it. She walks over to the Christmas tree, stepping over their sleeping dog as she goes, and pulls a stuffed animal out from behind it.

“What’s that?” Waverly asks.

“It’s from Santa,” Nicole says with a wink.

Waverly rolls her eyes. “Nicole.”

“Hush, you.” Nicole settles on the floor in front of Waverly and runs her fingers along Wren’s back. “Hi there, baby girl,” she coos. She holds out the small stuffed fox. “On _my_ first Christmas, Santa brought me a stuffed fox just like this one,” she says softly. “He brought me one every year, and then, when I was older, and Santa passed the gift-giving responsibility off to my parents, _they_ started giving me a fox every Christmas.”

She gives the fox to her daughter, who promptly begins to suck on its ear. Nicole smiles and brushes her hand over the baby’s head. “And now, it looks like Santa’s continuing the tradition with _you_.”

Nicole looks up at Waverly, who’s watching her with watery eyes.

“I love you,” Waverly whispers.

“I love you, too,” Nicole replies. She gets up onto her knees and presses a kiss to Wren’s head, making the little girl giggle. “ _Both_ of you.”

Waverly rests her head against Nicole’s for a moment, until Nicole stands and heads over to turn the video camera off.


End file.
